


Another Beginning

by notjustmom



Series: IronStrange Bingo [7]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Fluff, M/M, Not Pepper friendly, as always a happy ending, bittersweet but still happy, post snap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-11-13 00:49:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18021695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustmom/pseuds/notjustmom
Summary: IronStrange Bingo Prompt:  Amnesia





	Another Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Not a nice take on Pepper, but she's had enough - I do hope the MCU people give us Pepperony in Endgame, but since this is an Ironstrange story...

If Stephen had known - no. He had done what he had to do. He hadn't had a choice, but to give up the stone in order to... hell. Hell, that's exactly what he was in, had been in, ever since, even before they had finally found Tony, nearly - nope.

"Hey." Stephen looked up to see Rhodey leaning in the doorway. "You should get some rest. He's not going anywhere, and the doctors say he's fine."

"Does he look fine?" Stephen mumbled mostly to himself.

"No, but I've seen him look worse." Rhodey walked into the room, then sat opposite Stephen and looked at his friend in the bed. "After Afghanistan, New York, Sokovia, Siberia - maybe when he wakes up, you can finally convince the idiot to retire. The doctors said..."

"I know what the doctors said. That he should be awake by now. I know, better than anyone, the reasons why someone can't or won't wake up. You don't know -" Stephen rubbed his face and realized it had been three days since he had shaved. "Damn. Will you just stay with him? I need to get a shower and coffee. I don't want him to be alone when he wakes up."

Rhodey studied Stephen's face for a moment, then nodded. He had heard from Nebula - whoever, whatever, Nebula was, she let him know the basics of what had happened on Titan, and understood why Tony didn't want to wake up. "Yeah, go on, he's lucky to have a friend -"

"I don't think he would consider me a friend -"

"Well, whatever - I promise, I won't leave him."

"Thanks." Stephen slowly uncurled from his chair and nearly toppled over, but shook his head at Rhodey as he started to get to his feet. "I'm fine, considering. I'll be just a few minutes." And with that, he all but floated from the room.

Rhodey rubbed his eyes, and muttered at Tony's all too still figure. "C'mon Tony, you're starting to scare me now. Everyone is okay. I know, Nebula told me what happened, but they are back, I don't know how, but your wizard dude showed up at the compound, well, kind of materialized in the kitchen, actually. I thought someone had spiked my coffee. Interesting guy. Worried about you. Pete was here until last night -"

Tony's eyes fluttered open and he stared at Rhodey, then roughly mumbled out, "Pete?"

"Hey there. Yeah, Pete's fine, worried about you, but he's back at school. I told him that's where you'd want him to be, not haunting the halls here. He'll be back this afternoon."

"Wizard? What wizard?"

"Sorry, he prefers the title Sorcerer Supreme, name is Strange?"

"Who?" Tony grumbled and Rhodey narrowed his eyes at him.

"Tall, dark hair, going silver on the edges, nice eyes, funny red cloak, but he has no sense of humor that I can find -"

"Rhodey. I have no idea who you are talking about."

"He was on Titan with you."

"Titan?"

"Hell." Rhodey searched Tony's face to make sure he wasn't messing with him, then quickly realized he wasn't. He looked thoroughly lost and confused, and Rhodey knew from experience that the panic would set in soon if he couldn't figure out how to help him, and asked quietly, "what's the last thing you remember?"

"The last thing I remember? The park. Pepper and I, we were talking about - we were talking about kids - damn it, Rhodey. I don't remember anything after that. Where is she? Where is Pepper, Rhodey?"

"She -. I'm going to let the docs know you are awake -"

"James?"

"You know she's not good at sitting and waiting."

"How long, James? How long have I been here - wherever here is?"

"Three weeks."

"Three weeks?"

"Yeah." Rhodey pressed the call button, then reached out to take Tony's hand. He tried not to react as he felt how thin and tremulous Tony's hand was in his own, and whispered, "I'm not leaving you. Okay? They will have to work around me."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, Tony, I promise."

After all the poking and prodding, and the doctor's mumbo jumbo, the crowd of specialists finally left. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Tony."

Rhodey was stopped from telling him about what had happened over the last month when Stephen appeared at the door.

"You're awake then."

"Seem to be. You must be the wizard. Sorry, Sorcerer Supreme I've been hearing about."

"I'm gonna go call Pepper, let her know - I'll be back." Rhodey got up out of his chair, and shrugged as Strange quirked a curious eyebrow at him, then left the room.

Strange walked over to the chair he had been sitting in for most of the last three weeks, and put his coffee down on the table next to the bed. "You don't know who I am."

"Never seen you before in my life."

"Last thing you remember -"

"I was at the park with Pepper."

"Your fiance."

"She was then. Not sure if she is now. Not sure of much of anything. Tell me -"

"Stark."

"Rhodey won't. He said you were there with me, wherever there was. Was Peter there, too?"

Stephen nodded.

"Damn it."

"He's one reason we made it back. You are the other."

"Back from- ?"

"Titan."

Tony closed his eyes tightly and after a few moments opened them again and whispered, "the stones. The damn stones."

Stephen nodded.

"Vision. Where is he?"

"Back at the compound," Strange said quietly. "I think you should rest."

"You've been here -"

"Since you returned, three weeks ago."

"Why?"

Strange looked down at his hands and let out the deep breath he had really been holding, ever since he had found himself in the kitchen of the Avengers' compound, but Tony was still missing, had been presumed dead for days. "I needed to be sure."

"Of?"

"That you were okay. And to let you know -"

"Let me know?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Strange."

"You have a life here, people, who care -"

"You sat in that chair for three weeks. Why?"

"I told you."

"No. You didn't. You, are tap-dancing around the issue, Strange. I know tap-dancing, I'm a world champion tap-dancer."

"You. I didn't want to leave without thanking you, but it doesn't matter, because you don't remember, and I think it's best - there are reasons people forget things, Stark. There is no physical reason to explain why you can't remember -"

Tony closed his eyes again, and after a minute opened them again and whispered, "you gave up the Time Stone for me."

Stephen nodded, then muttered, "yes. I did."

"You took a chance on me, that I would - that I could find a way to - that's an awfully big gamble. On someone you had known less than a day -"

"There was -"

" - no other way. That's what you said, and then - Pete. And you - "

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to leave you there."

"How - ?"

"I still don't know."

"Did Pepper - damnit, Strange. She gave up again, this time for good, didn't she?"

"I'm sorry - if I hadn't -"

"Is there a note?"

Strange nodded.

"Right. Good. Damn, they gave me something - I thought three weeks was enough sleep for anyone, especially for me. It's more sleep than I've had in years." Tony waited until Strange met his eyes, then asked quietly,"I know - I'm sure you have something else you should be doing, but do you mind staying until I fall asleep?"

"i'm not going anywhere."

 

Two weeks earlier...

 

Pepper walked into Tony's room and stopped short. "You're - "

"Dr. Strange. I'm sorry."

"Do I want to know what happened to him this time? No one's telling me anything - no, never mind." She opened her purse and pulled out an envelope, then walked over to the bed and leaned over to kiss Tony's forehead. "It's better this way."

"Easier for you, you mean," Strange muttered under his breath.

She narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head. "He always chose someone, or something else over me, over us. I know. This time it was the Universe who needed him. Guess everything worked out again, for the best? Can you make sure he gets this?" She laid the envelope on the bed, and turned to leave, then stopped and turned back to face Strange. "You obviously care for him. Just to warn you - he's stubborn, obnoxious, a royal pain in the ass and -"

"One of the best people I've ever met." Stephen mumbled, as he looked down at Tony.

"Yes, he is. If he, can you, please tell him, I'm sorry. Take care of him, as much as he lets you."

"I will, Ms. Potts."

"I do love him, you know. Sometimes -"

"- things just don't work out, even when two people love each other."

She met his eyes and bit her lip. "There was someone."

"Yes. It's been over for a long time."

"I'm sorry."

"Well, as you said, it's better this way. Good-bye Ms. Potts."

"Doctor."

 

"Tell me you've slept in a bed at some point since you've been back?" Tony whispered as Stephen opened his eyes and tried to stifle a yawn.

"I don't sleep, as a rule."

Tony patted the space next to him and grimaced slightly as he made more room for him. "It's gotta be more comfortable than that chair."

"Not by much. Hospital beds - not a fan."

Tony cleared his throat and asked, "please? I'm not good at -"

"No. Neither am I." Stephen sighed and rolled his eyes, but the cloak pulled away and hovered by the door, and seemed to approve as Stephen used a spell to remove his boots, then climbed into the bed next to Tony and breathed out a sigh of relief as Tony threaded their fingers together, and for the first time in years, his hands stopped trembling.

"I'm a terrible risk - track record stinks."

"I've been known to be a bit arrogant, slightly rude -"

"That I do remember about you." Stephen managed to grin at him as he lifted their joined hands to his lips and lightly kissed Tony's knuckles. "Got you to smile. Making progress. You - I mean - do you have any sorcerer conventions I'm keeping you from?"

Strange shook his head. "I'm all yours." Tony bit his lip and looked into his eyes. "Always. For as long as you want me."


End file.
